It’s been a wet and cold summer and Campus Security knows it — in July they were called to deal with a garbage can fire at the university train station. Who knew there would be need for heating this summer?
Campus Security director Lanny Fritz explained that this was not wholly surprising for them. Each year CS encounters roughly five or six such garbage can fires.
“Most cases it’s accidental, where someone will flick in a cigarette,” said Fritz. “Or someone may have started a fire.”
The fire was not the only semi-regular occurrence that CS dealt with this summer. They also received the relativley-frequent chlorine alarm call — three times. One of the alarms was accidentally activated by a life safety technician doing maintenance, another was set off by a pool staff member while cleaning the facility’s chlorine system and the final alarm was triggered by pool staff changing the aquatic center’s caustic soda. The Calgary Fire Department attended all three instances.
The summer was also witness to some less common concerns, however.
CS officers found two boys shooting bow and arrows in the West Campus area. They did not pose a serious threat to the campus’ deer and rabbit populations, though.
“They were bows and arrows that kids would use, they were not a hunting bow and arrow,” said Fritz.
A professor’s office in the Education Tower was vandalized with Post-it notes. Demonstrating the quality of mental effort that likely led to the angry reaction towards the professor, the notes read “Fuck Face.”
In one of the most craven schemes to come to CS attention in recent memory, a man attempted to acquire the university’s corporate seal to make his own certificate. He had been registered in one continuing education computer programming class three years ago, but had failed to complete the course, so decided to try and manufacture his own certificate.
“In order to produce this fraudulent document, the university seal was required,” said Fritz. “He attempted to purchase a corporate seal through a printing company. Subsequently his scheme became known to Campus Security.”
When asked by the printing company – who were aware that the U of C has a seal and were suspicious of the request — what he needed the seal for, the one-time-student said he needed it for use at the Gauntlet.
Staff at the Outdoor Centre required CS assistance when a patron became belligerent when told he had to pay late charges for the equipment he returned after it was due. Unfortunately for people working on campus, this is no isolated incident.
“We do get unhappy customers from time to time who hadn’t anticipated what the true costs would be and get frustrated and vocal about having to pay,” said Fritz.
Fritz warned that new and returning students both should be cautious with their belongings, ensuring that they do not leave them unattended, even when taking a brief study break or going to the bathroom.
There were 92 incidents in June accounting for $6,259 total losses and 114 resulting in a total loss of $14,795 in July.